A Maryland woman and Ghanaian national was sentenced on July 22 to 70 months in federal prison for money laundering related to her involvement in a nationwide romance scam, according to public court documents.
Nana Takyiwa Adonu, 43, of Odenton, Maryland, played a significant role in the conspiracy by operating Han-Dak LLC, a company she used to receive over $1.6 million from victims. Among the funds received was more than $55,000 from a victim residing in the Southern District of Iowa. Victims were led to believe that their payments would help unite them with their purported romantic partners. Many lost substantial sums after draining retirement accounts or selling assets.
When approached by investigators from the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Adonu claimed Han-Dak LLC was a legitimate garment production business and produced false invoices and documentation during the investigation. In addition to her prison sentence, Adonu was ordered to pay $1,655,640.76 in restitution and will serve three years of supervised release following incarceration.
In March 2026, co-defendant Naabanyin Aniagyei-Cobbold received a sentence of 108 months’ imprisonment with similar terms of supervised release and restitution obligations.
“Romance scammers exploit victims when they are at their most vulnerable,” said Eugene Kowel, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Omaha Field Office. “They prey on innocent people by convincing them a relationship is real, then slowly abuse that trust to steal their life savings. Some victims lost their entire retirement accounts. This case is an egregious example of the ruthless persistence exhibited by scammers who enrich themselves at the expense of vulnerable people. The FBI will continue using every tool at our disposal to apprehend these criminals and bring them to justice.”
United States Attorney David C. Waterman announced the sentencing decision for the Southern District of Iowa—a district which handles civil and criminal cases for the United States through its team of 24 prosecutors operating under the Department of Justice using facilities including those located at Neal Smith Federal Building in Des Moines as well as courthouses in Davenport and Council Bluffs, according to information provided on its official website.
The FBI reports that approximately 59,000 people fell victim to romance-related scams nationally in 2024 with losses exceeding $672 million; many victims feel embarrassed or ashamed after realizing they have been exploited but are encouraged by law enforcement officials not only to report such crimes but also seek assistance if targeted.